Region: Abruzzo
Quality Level in EU/Italian Wine Law: Colline Teramane Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOCG, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (rose') DOC
Primary Grape Varieties: Montepulciano in varietal form or blends. Often Blended with Sangiovese.
Abruzzo is a region that produces wines in two basic environments - flat coastal and sea-influenced areas with higher fertility soils and larger production levels and hillside slopes with lower temperatures, more continental in nature, higher diurnal range and lower fertility soils. In the latter, all of these conditions slow ripening, extend the ripening season, retain acidity and create wines of higher concentration and intensity. The flatter areas produce early drinking, high production wines with less distinction. This is important because there can be quite a range of quality with Montepulciano wines from Abruzzo and you should look for a DOCG label for better example. In any case, Montepulciano wines are great to pair with burgers or pizza and poor examples are hard to find. They are a good wine to go to for a value of quality to price.
Flavors of Black Plum, Red Plum and Red Cherry dominate the wines of medium + acid, full body, Medium to high alcohol and deep color.
Colline Teramane Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOCG produces the highest quality Montepulciano wines from the Abruzzo region. As stated above, this is due to the higher elevations and conditions that elevated this former subregion to DOCG status. The wines have higher concentration and require two years of aging, one in wood, before release. The yields are controlled and as low as the five official sub-zones of the DOC region, raising the quality of the wines.
The five sub-regions also control the yields, produce grapes from hillsides and are high quality but only require 18 months of aging with half of that in oak.
All Montepulciano DOC wines require grapes from the hillsides. They are produced in lighter and fuller styles. Montepulciano has high levels of color, flavor and tannin and must be controlled in the winery to avoid them losing their integration and balance. They can be more lightly extracted for early consumption wines, blended with Merlot or Primitivo to soften the tannins or given some time in oak to soften and resolve. For DOC wines, large botte are used to keep prices low with only some producers using small French barrique.
In all cases, the wines are at least 85% Montepulciano. The more expensive the wine, the more likely it is more concentrated and spent time in oak aging. Some of the DOCG wines are very good and can cost more.
Rose'
While producing the red wines, many producers bleed off the wine before macerating it (Saignee method) for rose production. A simple, light press or a very short maceration on the skins can also be used for Rose wine styles in this region. The wines are still capable of having some color due to the deep color of Montepulciano grapes and short maceration is the key. The wines are medium to medium + in body, contain at least 85% Montepulciano grapes and are labeled as Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo. They are generally inexpensive to mid priced and worth a try if you can find one.
Montepulciano is a late ripening grape aligned to the warm mediterranean climates in which it is grown. It can ripen unevenly and can be reductive in the winery. Careful harvest and cap management is required to produce the better examples.
Quality Level in EU/Italian Wine Law: Colline Teramane Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOCG, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOC, Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (rose') DOC
Primary Grape Varieties: Montepulciano in varietal form or blends. Often Blended with Sangiovese.
Abruzzo is a region that produces wines in two basic environments - flat coastal and sea-influenced areas with higher fertility soils and larger production levels and hillside slopes with lower temperatures, more continental in nature, higher diurnal range and lower fertility soils. In the latter, all of these conditions slow ripening, extend the ripening season, retain acidity and create wines of higher concentration and intensity. The flatter areas produce early drinking, high production wines with less distinction. This is important because there can be quite a range of quality with Montepulciano wines from Abruzzo and you should look for a DOCG label for better example. In any case, Montepulciano wines are great to pair with burgers or pizza and poor examples are hard to find. They are a good wine to go to for a value of quality to price.
Flavors of Black Plum, Red Plum and Red Cherry dominate the wines of medium + acid, full body, Medium to high alcohol and deep color.
Colline Teramane Montepulciano D'Abruzzo DOCG produces the highest quality Montepulciano wines from the Abruzzo region. As stated above, this is due to the higher elevations and conditions that elevated this former subregion to DOCG status. The wines have higher concentration and require two years of aging, one in wood, before release. The yields are controlled and as low as the five official sub-zones of the DOC region, raising the quality of the wines.
The five sub-regions also control the yields, produce grapes from hillsides and are high quality but only require 18 months of aging with half of that in oak.
All Montepulciano DOC wines require grapes from the hillsides. They are produced in lighter and fuller styles. Montepulciano has high levels of color, flavor and tannin and must be controlled in the winery to avoid them losing their integration and balance. They can be more lightly extracted for early consumption wines, blended with Merlot or Primitivo to soften the tannins or given some time in oak to soften and resolve. For DOC wines, large botte are used to keep prices low with only some producers using small French barrique.
In all cases, the wines are at least 85% Montepulciano. The more expensive the wine, the more likely it is more concentrated and spent time in oak aging. Some of the DOCG wines are very good and can cost more.
Rose'
While producing the red wines, many producers bleed off the wine before macerating it (Saignee method) for rose production. A simple, light press or a very short maceration on the skins can also be used for Rose wine styles in this region. The wines are still capable of having some color due to the deep color of Montepulciano grapes and short maceration is the key. The wines are medium to medium + in body, contain at least 85% Montepulciano grapes and are labeled as Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo. They are generally inexpensive to mid priced and worth a try if you can find one.
Montepulciano is a late ripening grape aligned to the warm mediterranean climates in which it is grown. It can ripen unevenly and can be reductive in the winery. Careful harvest and cap management is required to produce the better examples.
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